Family Ties.

Let me tell you about my tour guides of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

To get from Mobile, Alabama to New Orleans, Louisiana you have to cross through Mississippi along the coast line. About half way in between them is the city of Biloxi, MS. I was originally only going to stay for one night, but when William, Juliana, and Aubrey, welcomed me with open arms I knew I had to spend another night with them. I now know that I am very rusty at fourth grade math and I need to brush up on my hide and seek skills. Thanks girls!

I must tell you all, they're a very impressive family. Among the numerous places they've visited, camped, and hiked, some have been close to home, like the Tuxachanie Trail in Mississippi. Others have been farther away, like Ayers Rock in Australia. Keep in mind, Juliana is 12 and Aubrey is 9 years old. I told you they're impressive. If you're surprised that families host couch surfers, you're not alone, I was too. It's really interesting to find parents along the way that want to expose their kids early on to exploring and adventuring, both outside and inside the house. Kind of awesome, actually. They all love that I'm on a grand adventure and I got to tell them lots of stories of the parks I've seen so far. While settling into the daily routine, making a big breakfast and having doughnuts after (and before) school from Tatonut, William taught me a lot about the area. His family has roots everywhere and he knows all about the history of the Gulf Coast. Did you know it is considered, so I've been told, the seafood capitol of the world? As a seafood lover myself, I obviously had some when I was here. It was just as I expected, fresh and delicious. While the majority of the Biloxi coast is casinos and chain restaurants like the Hard Rock and Margaritaville, it also has an interesting history. The Biloxi lighthouse is the only active Mississippi lighthouse still standing after the hurricanes of 1906, 1947, 1969, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The first lightkeeper started in 1848 and was paid $400 per year. Fun fact, it is also the lighthouse on Mississippi's state license tags; the symbol of strength and resilience. There's lots of outdoor things to do here, especially on the water. Since I don't have a boat it was a little hard to accomplish some of them but I did go to the Gulf Islands National Seashore where I got another stamp for my parks passport.

Ocean Springs is the small town next door to Biloxi, where the girls go to school and oaks with spanish moss line every street. It's such a beautiful little town, truly. There's only two main streets with shops and restaurants, and you can walk the whole town within an hour. That certainly doesn't take away from it's charm. Even just looking at the shops, everyday boutiques that you can probably find anywhere, you can tell they have a lot of character. While strolling around, one of my favorite homes I found, funny enough, is actually a family home of William's. Small and white with blue trim and bamboo creating a tunnel entryway. I must have a taken a picture from every angle.

The most memorable thing we did was go out to The Farm" Wednesday after school. It's farther out in rural Ocean Springs, MS. No one lives there anymore, but it's been a part of their family for forever. The big old yellow farm house sitting on acres and acres of land takes you back in time the moment you arrive. During the few hours spent there we had ice cream, walked the trails William made himself, climbed a huge oak tree, and enjoyed the tire swing in the backyard. The girls took me to all the places they had marked as "forts". They're clearings they've discovered over the years behind thickly coated entrances, like small secret gardens. I learned a lot about my camera while I was there too. You'll see below, I loved shooting them, especially when they weren't looking. Some of my favorite shots are the ones I took at The Farm.

I'm going to miss William's kindness and intrigue for adventure, the sassiness of Aubrey, and the fearlessness of Juliana. Hopefully I will see them again soon and I can't wait to hear about how the restoration of his 40' Marine Trader, Interlude, is coming along!

Off to New Orleans for Mardi Gras... wish me luck!

- G.

The Photo:
Exploring at the farm.
Ocean Springs, MS.
2/23/17.